Page 72 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

Liam

Kathy, Skylar’s mother, stands in front of me with her hands in her pockets. There’s a car running behind her, waiting to take us to her daughter’s apartment. I’m not sure why she wanted to see me first, but I woke up to a text asking if she could meet me.

So here we are, standing on the sidewalk. Freezing our balls off.

She extends an envelope toward me, and I balk. Anyone with a brain would realize that it probably contains more cash than the average monthly rent, and I fucking hesitate.

Because do I really want to be paid to watch Skylar? I’ve already been doing it for a week for free.

“Take it, Liam,” she urges. “I feel… guilty. Asking as well as paying. I remember how upset you were after Skylar posted that video, and she was devastated at hurting you. If anything comes of this, maybe you’ll forgive her.”

“So this is bribe money? To reconcile?” An interesting turn of events.

But I take the envelope and stick it in my back pocket, nodding once. Whether it works out or not is up to Sky.

“Think of it however you want. I just need to keep my daughter safe.”

I narrow my eyes. “What if the safest thing is for her to remember what happened to her?”

She steps closer, and I stiffen.

“Would it be safe for her to remember the worst month of her life?”

“It might help her cope with these unexplained emotions,” I say in a level voice. I told Jake much the same, but he only disregarded it with a wave of his hand.

She, however, stares at me like I’m a stranger. An imposter in the boy next door’s skin.

“I know her.” I lift my chin. “You recognize that.”

Quietly, she says, “I do.”

“Then let me do what you want: I’ll keep her safe. My way.” This is it: she could decide that the risk isn’t worth it. Me being a risk, specifically with her daughter, could cause casualties.

A low time for jokes, but the thought stirs something in my abdomen. A hunger for more of what Sky has to offer.

“You have until winter break,” she says finally. “If she’s still acting this way… She’s not coming back to Ashburn.”

There has been no big blow-up on Sky’s part. No irrationality. A desire to drink after speaking with the police seems perfectly normal to me. Yet, this has everything to do with how she’s reacted to current trauma. Her gray hair and piercings, a tattoo I’m positive her mother doesn’t know about, the black clothes. Her mom sees it as a form of breaking down, not breaking out. Why would she see those things as independence when she thinks she knows her daughter better than Skylar knows herself?

She gestures for me to get in the car.

The conversation is clearly over, with her deadline stamped into my skin. We ride in silence, and Kathy stays quiet the entire way up to Sky’s apartment. We approach to an open door and voices drifting into the hallway.

“You can’t go,” Sky pleads. “There’s still finals, and—”

“This is final,” a man says loudly.

I bristle.

Skylar’s mom glances at me and speeds up.

We both reach the door at the same time, and the scene in front of us? Not what I was expecting.

20

Sky

A commotion wakes me up.